The Road To Her Part 22

"Hey." She ran her hand down the length of my arm, letting her fingers rest on mine, before letting my hand slowly drop.

"Hey." I looked into her darkened eyes and another swell of love for her engulfed me.

"I'm done," she said, puffing out her cheeks "Finally!"

"You've been awesome this evening," I said. "I haven't been able to take my eyes off you all night."

"Nor me, you." Her eyes slowly drifted down the length of my body and back up again. "Hol?"

"Elise?"

She leant forwards, her hair tickling my face. "Take me home," she whispered into my ear. "I think I'll go mad if I can't have you tonight."

Chapter Twenty-four.

We did manage to leave the party soon after that, hailing a cab from just outside the arena and ducking into it, away from the eagle eyes of the photographers still hanging around outside. The cab drove quickly through the streets of London, me and Elise sitting in silence in the back of it, occasionally looking across to one another and linking hands in the darkness of the back seat, then turning to stare, unseeing, out our respective windows at the streets rus.h.i.+ng past.

We arrived back at my apartment shortly after two a.m., sharing the quickest of kisses in the privacy of the lift for the few moments it took it to get up to my floor. I was barely able to keep my hands off her but knew I had to wait until we were safely inside my apartment, away from anyone seeing us. Somehow, that made it hotter, knowing that I couldn't touch her but desperately wanting to, and that soon I'd have her all to myself again.

Once inside my apartment, Elise closed the door and locked it. Flicking the dimmer-switch on, she turned the lights down low and, with one hand, pushed me up against the closed door, all the while never taking her eyes off mine. I pressed myself back against the door, linking my arms up and around her neck.

"Remember earlier you said I could spend the evening thinking about how much fun I was going to have kissing all your lip gloss off?" Elise murmured, looking down at my lips.

"Mm?"

"Well, I thought about it, like, all evening," she said, bending her head and kissing her way across my neck and up to my cheek.

"Even when you were with Danny?" I mocked.

"Yuh-huh," Elise mumbled.

She brushed her lips over my cheek, over my eyes, my forehead, before lightly kissing my lips, pressing hers softly to mine. Still kissing me, she took my hand and pulled me away from the door to the lounge, leading me over to the sofa. She pushed me gently down and laid me back onto the sofa, putting both her hands either side of my head and leaning over me, her hair falling softly onto my face.

"This was all I could think about while I was there tonight," she said quietly. "All the time I was standing there having photo after photo taken, all I wanted to do was get the h.e.l.l out of there and get you back here alone."

"Really?" I looked up at her.

"Really." She pulled herself off me and, kicking her heels off, wandered to the kitchen. "Do you have any champagne? I think it's time just you and I celebrated, don't you?"

"Fridge," I called from the sofa. "Already opened. Probably flat by now."

She returned a few seconds later with a bottle and gla.s.ses. "Who cares?" She grinned, sitting on the sofa next to me.

She pulled the stopper from the champagne, nodding approvingly as she heard a satisfying enough pop, then quickly poured out two gla.s.ses.

"To you!" I said, taking the gla.s.s that was offered to me. "And your award. You deserve it."

"Maybe," she said, "but without you, I wouldn't have got it, would I?"

I thought for a moment. "True." I grinned. "To us, then!"

I linked my right arm around her right arm and looked at her as we both awkwardly took a sip from our gla.s.ses, Elise giggling as some champagne dribbled down her chin, while I enjoyed the sensation of the bubbles p.r.i.c.king like small needles inside my mouth.

I swallowed the ice-cold champagne. "Elise?" A wave of doubt washed over me.

"Holly." Elise looked at me with mock seriousness.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"The champagne?" Elise leant her head to one side and widened her eyes. "Yeah, it's what I want."

"Be serious."

Without answering me, Elise unhooked her arm from mine, drained her drink, then slowly took my gla.s.s from me. She put both our gla.s.ses down on the table and took my hands in hers, then stood, pulling me to my feet, too. Still silent, she looked down at my lips then slowly lifted her gaze back up, until she was looking back at me, as if she was looking right into my soul. She was utterly mesmerising, and I was incapable of resisting her any longer.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she said softly.

There was a pause while we both stood looking at each other, eyes roaming over one another's face, both of us knowing what was about to happen. Elise looked adorable and s.e.xy and loving and vulnerable and a million other beautiful things, and I knew by the look in her eyes that she wanted me as much as I wanted her. I instinctively pulled her to me and kissed her more deeply and urgently and with more longing than I'd ever kissed anyone before, Elise all the while pressing her lips hard back onto mine, running her hands up my back, making my skin p.r.i.c.kle against the material of my dress.

"I think you're fabulous," she murmured against my lips. "I want to keep you forever and ever."

Still kissing, she pushed me backwards until I was against the wall of the lounge, then slowly-so slowly-started pulling my dress down far enough until I was able to wriggle myself out of it, lifting my feet and kicking it away to one side.

She held my arms above my head with one hand, whilst her other hand stroked my bare skin, making me catch my breath, giving me gooseb.u.mps up and down my arms. She stopped kissing me for a second and looked down at me, her eyes fixed on mine.

"You're beautiful," she whispered.

I freed my arms and clasped them behind Elise's neck, closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the wall as Elise started kissing my throat and neck, then suddenly stopped. I opened an eye and glanced at her.

"Don't stop," I pleaded. "Please."

"So where should I kiss you next?" Elise grinned.

I pointed to my lips. "Here would be a start," I said.

"No, no lips allowed." Elise brushed her finger over my lips.

"Okay," I said, laughing. "Here?" I pointed to my collarbone and instinctively tilted my head back as Elise started kissing it, tracing her tongue over it, nibbling gently at my skin over and over again.

"Next?" she finally said, still brus.h.i.+ng her lips over my collarbone.

A s.h.i.+ver ran down my back. I loved the way she was teasing me, touching me. I loved how she was kissing me, so gently and lovingly. Even though she was asking me each time, I knew that she knew exactly where to touch me and how to kiss me, and she knew just how hard or soft I wanted it, making my skin tingle and the blood rush in my ears.

I liked this game. I liked it a lot.

Before I'd had a chance to point to my neck, she was already kissing it. I felt myself getting giddier with each kiss as Elise slowly nuzzled at my skin, just below my ear, her hair falling gently against my skin.

"Next?" Elise murmured, still kissing my neck, before lifting her head and meeting my eyes. The look in her eyes was enough to nearly send me over the edge as I pointed to my stomach, laughing as Elise obediently fell to her knees. She put both hands on my hips and started running her tongue up and down my skin before moving her lips lightly over it, alternatively kissing and licking. I pressed my head back against the wall and threaded my hands into her hair, thinking that I might explode at any minute.

Finally, when I couldn't bear it any longer, I spoke.

"Elise?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Take me to bed."

Chapter Twenty-five.

I never believed I could ever love someone again after Grace left me. She'd taken away every ounce of trust and confidence from me, so that I really thought I'd spend the rest of my life alone. I guess that's what being dumped does for your self-esteem, huh?

But now here I was, the morning after what had been possibly the best-and longest-night of s.e.x I'd ever had, and I thought maybe I was going to be all right, after all. Elise had been amazing and so loving and thoughtful and caring, I thought that if I'd died right there in my bed, I'd have at least died happy.

I woke up entwined with Elise, her head in the crook of my neck, my arms wrapped round her shoulders, my leg hooked up over her hip, just cradling her like I didn't ever want to let her go. I looked down at her, still fast asleep in my arms, hardly daring to believe she was here with me, and felt a surge of love for her. I loved that she wanted me as much as I wanted her, and that she wanted to be with me, not with or Robbie or anyone else. Just me. I brushed her hair softly away from her eyes, leaning down and kissing her forehead, tracing my fingertips up and down her bare arm, reluctantly stopping when I saw her stir. I couldn't wait to spend every single minute of every day with her, or to fall asleep with her at night and then wake up and find her in my bed next to me, just as she was now. I wanted her totally and utterly, day after amazing day. Because she was amazing. And she was mine.

She began to wake up, just as I was still gazing down at her, and peered up at me through sleepy eyes. When she saw me looking at her, a smile spread across her face that was so sweet it made my heart soar. She sighed contentedly, a long, deep sigh that only comes with pure happiness, her body tensing and shaking slightly against mine as she stretched and suppressed a yawn.

"Hey," she said, reaching over and stroking my face.

"Sleep okay?" I asked, putting my arm under the duvet and stroking her thigh.

"Eventually." She laughed. "Someone kept me up half the night."

She rolled onto her back, pulling the duvet up, and lay there, gazing sleepily at the ceiling. She pulled her knees up and stretched her arms out above her head, linking her fingers, pus.h.i.+ng her hands out in front of her, and stifling another yawn.

"Last night was amazing," I said, remembering, still lying on my side, just watching her, taking in every detail of her perfect face.

"Totally awesome." She broke into a reminiscent sort of smile. "You're awesome, too."

"Do you really mean that?" I asked.

She turned and looked at me, lifting up her elbow long enough to allow me to shuffle over and nestle my head against the crook of her neck, then curled her arm round my shoulders.

"Of course I do," Elise replied, sighing contentedly as I draped my arm across her front, idly running my fingers over her ribs and across her stomach, loving how she squirmed with pleasure every time I ran over a particularly sensitive spot on her skin. "Do you really have to ask that?"

"I'm just checking again," I said slowly, "that you're not having second thoughts about everything."

"About us?" Elise asked. "No, I'm not having second thoughts." She hesitated. "Although..."

"Although what?"

"Just that you know we have to be discreet about all this," she said.

"I know, yes," I said, my heart getting heavy. "You already said, and I already said I will be."

"I'm just paranoid that someone's going to find out." Elise hugged me tighter. "I'm sorry."

"How will anyone know?" I tried not to sigh audibly; I really didn't want to be having this conversation again. Not now. "No one's going to find out."

"Unless someone sees me leaving your apartment later," Elise said quietly. "After having seen me arrive last night."

"Did you see anyone follow us, Elise?" I asked.

"No," she replied meekly.

I propped myself up on one elbow, reaching up to push her hair from her eyes. "And since when have I ever had reporters camped outside my apartment?" I made big eyes at her. "Chill." I thought for a moment. "And, anyway, even if anyone did see you coming here and leaving again, why would they a.s.sume we're sleeping together?"

"True." Elise rolled her eyes. "Ignore me," she said. "I'm being stupid."

I nestled myself back into the crook of her arm once more. "You are," I said, squealing as she playfully dug her fingers into my side. "I've slept over at Bella's before now-do you think people will think we're an item?" I squealed again as she dug her fingers in harder.

"Don't mock me," she laughed.

"But you can see how ludicrous it sounds, can't you?" I said, stroking her arm.

"I can," she sighed. "Sorry."

I looped my arm tighter around her, enjoying the warmth and feel of our entwined bodies.

"I could lie like this all day," I whispered into her neck, my eyes getting heavy again.

We lay in silence, wrapped up tightly in each other's arms, Elise's chin resting on the top of my head as we dozed, listening to one another breathing softly.

"We should do something today," I murmured. I pulled myself away and propped myself up on one elbow, ignoring Elise's grumbles about being moved. I looked down at her, tracing a pattern on her collarbone with my fingertips. "Considering we have the day off. What do you think?" I thought for a minute, then remembered my recurring dream about being in a boat with Elise. "You know what I'd really like to do today?"

Elise shook her head.

"Take a rowing boat down the Thames," I said.

"No," Elise said firmly. "I don't think so."

"What?" I said, taken aback by her blunt reply. "Why not?"

Elise looked at me, her face serious. "Because we'll be seen," she said. "We've just been talking about discretion, Hol. What's discreet about taking a boat down the Thames?"

"We won't be seen!" I said. "C'mon, it'll be fun."